


Afterlife.

by onelastseraphim



Category: Strange Magic (2015)
Genre: Afterlife, Angst, Bog - Freeform, Bog x Marianne, Dawn - Freeform, Disease, F/M, Life after death?, Original Character Death(s), Other, Strange Magic, Sunny - Freeform, Violence, bog king - Freeform, marianne - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-17
Updated: 2016-03-22
Packaged: 2018-05-27 07:45:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6275719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onelastseraphim/pseuds/onelastseraphim
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Or The Bog King's Journey Throughout.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_He was sure that they had made it out from the skull and out of the way of his castle that now laid in a pile of splintered chunks filling the small ravine._

_They being two princesses of the Fairy Kingdom. One been love dusted and he had been the first creature she had seen and the other…_

_All he could see was black, were his eyes closed? There was no sound, no feeling he could describe. There was only one thing that the Bog King knew was certain of now…_

_He was dead._

_So this is how he would go. Saving the lives of two princess from another Kingdom. At least he wouldn’t be around to hear about it._

_It wasn’t so that he was ready for it, perhaps it was the ending that was best to him. It saved him from the unknown, from the fear, from the uncertainty of the other Princess, the elder one…_

_All was still black, if his eyes were now open then he could not tell but finally he could feel his body again. It was heavy and felt like he was standing but could not move. This must be the beginning of his afterlife…_

 

She sat there on her knees staring down into the heavy dust cloud, she heard her sister Dawn sobbing behind her. It was the first time in Marianne's life when she did not move to comfort her younger sibling. Marianne knew that Dawn wept over the loss of the Bog King and she knew that she was doing the same in silence.

Her mind was heavy and blank, clouded by memories of the past night and all the absurd events that had led to this final one. Now she'll never know, just how, what if...

Her thoughts are finally broken when something touches her shoulder. Quickly wiping her eyes she turns and stands at the same time, it is Dawn. She is no longer weeping and her eyes finally looked clear. Her long fingers cupped her sisters face "You're...back?"

"Yeah, but I don't know how," Dawn answered back as they hug for the first time in what seems like forever. Dawn was finally back to her. Marianne focused on the small elf, who had a lot of responsibility in these events and moved quickly to their side to take Dawn's hand.  
Marianne pulled back looking one more time into Dawn's eyes, just to make sure and turned to look back down into the ravine. The heavy cloud of debris still hung there in the still morning air.  


Moon down had passed.  


Marianne sighed heavily, her wings drooping, droplets threatening to fall from her eyes. Dawn placed a hand back on her sister's shoulder, believing that it was best to move her sister away from the sight, "I'm sorry," she whispered bringing her other hand to Marianne's other shoulder. Despite Dawn's altered state she had seen how much she seemed to care for the Bog King, and that the Bog King cared for her, how he had called out her name in his search for her as larger pieces of the castle began to fall.

As the two sister's walked towards the crowd that had gathered behind them, elves, fairies and goblins all standing there intermingled. Marianne took sight of two small goblins that had been there in that decorated room, trying to comfort one another. This was not just her loss, the Forest didn't have a King anymore...Marianne stopped in her tracks once she saw Griselda mother of the Bog King.

Griselda wiped the tears from under her small eyes and meekly smiled up at Marianne and Dawn.

"No.." Marianne said quietly.

"Marianne?" Dawn asked bringing her hands down.

"No," Marianne repeated louder for all to hear, "This isn't, I can't just let. It's not going to end this way!"

Marianne's large purple wings flared out and before anyone could say or do anything she took flight into the dusty cloud that was slowly sinking down to the forest floor.

"She's right!" Thang, the small goblin who held onto the yellow and green boutonniere expelled. He had even surprised Stuff who had been rubbing his snout in an attempt to calm him. Thangs arms shot into the air, boutonniere and all. "We have to help her!"

Griselda perked up and turned to all the others in the crowd, the other Goblins began to step forward while other ran off into the trees. The elves exchanged glances and nodded in agreement along with the fairy soldiers that had marched the forest with them. The heavy buzz of dragonflies grew behind them as most of the crowd moved to work their way down into the ravine.

The air choked in her throat, burned her eyes and she knew her wings were gathering the debris. They grew heavy as she pulled all her will into her muscles and her hope. 

Finally she saw the large pile of wood, large pieces collected while others were scattered all around. If the skull was under all of that then...But she shook her thoughts away. She refused to believe it and fluttered about the piled looking for any sign of bone she could find. She landed looking all around the rubble, the dust began to glow. 

Day break had arrived.

The early light made the colors grow warm, and seemed to help break up the dust cloud she squinted walking then running towards what she hoped was...and it was. The skull, still mostly intact. A large piece of the orbital bone had been chipped away and some of the sharp fangs had dislodged allowing for an opening but the back of it was crushed. It laid on the side of its cheek  
Marianne ignored the loud buzzing and the muffling sounds of her name as she immediately dipping into the dark opening of the skull. All her breath left her and it felt like her throat was closing. He was there in that skull, not moving, and her arms were not long enough for her to reach down and touch him. If he really was...

 

_How long would he have to stand there in that total darkness. He wanted to move but his body was still too heavy and he struggled with his will to move. He began to feel warm, a familiar warmth..._

_It was his first memory, how bright and warm the sunlight was and he enjoyed it. He felt like he might chuckle to himself but could not, why now of all times was this memory un-vaulted. Maybe the dead do laugh, who knows?  
He lived through his memories that felt more like dreams, maybe now they were both. All memories were not good and he was not prepared for the shock of his most painful memory, the death of the King before him. His Father._

_He had to move he had to get away from this. Would he relive his whole life now? Was it the punishment of all his misdeeds? He watched unable to move._

_The bats were always a part of the forest and knew not to go after goblins for they fought back. There was an outbreak of disease that affected the creatures driving them mad. They had attacked, those who survived succumbed to the same disease which was always fatal. He was not of age yet, just past adolescence but not quite grown [15-16], he was in a training session with his father and was beginning to actually give the elder a decent run._

_"Not bad, boy" the King said to his son huffing to catch his breath tightly gripping his staff. The boy beamed, knowing that was as good as a compliment as he was going to get, yet kept his expression mostly neutral he was not out of breath yet. The King was not for coddling as the mother did enough of that. A small fishy looking goblin broke into the room waving his short arms, "Majesty! Majesty!"_

_The bats had indeed gone mad, and a thick froth spilled out from their mouths. "More water!" The King shouted out, his huge antlion wings buzzing fast. The mad creatures shunned away from the liquid, a well known side effect to the disease which they had no name for. Other goblins with spears rode on dragonflies trying to get the bats to the ground so awaiting goblins could do them in and burn the bodies on sight._

_One may think it cruel to kill the mad bats but with this disease death was the only release and it was crueler to let them fly about attacking other creatures and spreading the disease..._

_The King roared out loud as a particularly large bat had manage to bite into his large palms. From behind the Prince stabbed the creature deep in the back with no mercy. In its screech it released the King's hand fell to the ground with a heavy thud. Goblins awaiting on the ground quickly went to work burning the creature alive._

_"Don't!" The King warned to his son as he descended to the ground, "don't touch the wound or me." The wound began to froth slightly and The King knew that there would be no saving him now, his staff dropped to the ground._

_"Kill me, boy," the king growled out, the pain in his hand was searing and he felt himself beginning to lose it. The Prince who had followed him to ground, snapped his attention to his father's similar face. Ghostly pale blue eyes bore into the Prince. "I said kill me boy, before the sickness take me. I order it. My last order as your King!"_

_The King dropped to the ground clutching his hand, "Kill me BOY!" he roared out. The Prince shook his head, he had killed before, his first hunt, defense against certain creatures but he had never killed another goblin, let alone his father..."BOG!!" The King roared out again, accent getting thick with annoyance, the Prince winced at his name being called, that meant the King was cross. The Bog Prince, and his father was The Bog King, it was what their line was called, because he was to inherit the throne, he would inherit the name as well. He had been groomed and raised always knowing that one day he would take the throne._

_But not like this._

_"If ye dornt' kill me first i'll be killin' you, and ever'one else...there's no savin' from this sickness," The King's vision began to blur, his mouth felt so damn dry and seemed to salivate heavily to quench it. He was beginning to froth and his pupils were becoming pinpoints despite it being night._

_His hands gripped the sharpened stick so hard bits of wood dug into the thick skin. The body below him was motionless, lifeless as the stick stuck out from the throat, one of the only fatal spots to get to for The King had been covered in similar hard armor. His teeth were bared, froth running down the sides of his mouth his pale eyes, looking right at The Prince, the new King._

_His body had been burned right on the spot, as it burned the former King's wife came running as fast as her legs could carry her. The new Bog King picked up the staff from the ground and turned to face his mother as she dropped to her knees crying and choking..._

_He knew his face worse a horrid grimace, though the memory of that night plagued him time to time he never thought of it in detail. Trying to avoid the worst ones but without realizing it he had taken a step forward. It felt like he was standing but felt nothing below his feet. He took another step just to see if he could and began to slowly step forward deeper into the darkness of his afterlife..._

 

"Be careful! Give em some space!" Griselda's scratchy voice bellowed out. The skull had been broken apart as gently as it could be done and The Bog King had been pulled out. Marianne dropped heavy to her knees the fabric scraping away from the knee and the ground dug into her skin but she didn't care. He had not been crushed, protected a bit by the skull itself that had rolled enough out of the way to escape being buried by the majority of the rubble.

Marianne felt her eyes beginning to sting, and she drove the tears back. A mix of hope and happiness washed over her but at the same time she felt her heart sinking into her stomach. Her head pulsed with emotion and fatigue. He was still motionless, he looked...lifeless. Marianne moved her hand and placed it gently on his chest not quite sure what she was looking for. Griselda looked on, trying to keep her own emotions in check as the mixed crowd looked on.

Marianne could not feel a heartbeat and was not sure if she would be able to at all through the thick plates. Nor could she tell if he was breathing, there was no rise or fall. Hesitantly, out of fear, but she needed to know. she brought her other hand to hover under his nose. She took in one short breath while she grabbed his limp heavy hand. Turning to the crowd her tears finally burst out in fits of sobbing laughter.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Or The Bog King's Journey Throughout.

_There was no time where he was, and the blackness continued on. He kept walking now that his legs were no longer has heavy as the rest of him. He knew that he would be seeing more things that he did want to see but he had no way of preventing it. He could not shield his eyes with his arms and hands feeling too heavy to move them. His wings were still and he could not lift them either but he had no pain._

_It was as if he was walking through his life, and he knew the next memory he had would be of the potion. Plum's version had actually been a lighter version of what happened and didn't reveal of true fall out it had on the forest._

_Though he had been King for a few seasons, it was not till this particular one that he was now of age. Being of age meant many things, officially an adult, officially a man. His mother, though was only trying to help, would try to set him up with the eligible young ladies of the forest. None of them ever caught his attention and new deep down that most of them were only there to secure a place of power, not because they actually liked him. With his father gone, he had grown more disdained about his appearance, the closest person resembling him was gone. He had been told stories that their particular kind had scattered through the world and probably died out._

_For all he knew there was no one else like him. It wasn't so much his appearance but how painfully shy he actually was. His mother told him it made him seem charming, unlike his father who had been known as being a huge flirt till they...Okay so he had enough of that for now, he really didn't have the time to deal with it anyway..._

_It was spring, the time of renewal in the afterward of winter. He knew that his subjects would want parties to celebrate and though he found them exhausting and avoided attending beyond opening the event he often conceited to them._

_But the one currently going on was the first one he attended all the way through. His mother, as usual, was trying to introduce a goblin girl to him that resembled his mother too much for comfort. Across the throne room of the castle (the same castle that had fallen that morning) he saw something so beautiful he forgot how to breathe and how to walk, he tripped just a bit and his wings caught him so he buzzed across the room to the sight._

_Huge dark green eyes under thick dark lashes looked up at him, something that was very uncommon among them. "Your majesty," she said with a smile giving him a bow. Her cheeks were rosy and looked wonderful against the smoothness of her green skin, but her voice. Oh it was soft was sweet, and held nothing ill in it. More perfectly was she not one of the many ladies his mother had tried to introduce him too._

_"Majesty?" her sweet voice called out, he realized he had been staring and coughed while looking away then looked back to her quickly._

_"Are you, uh, enjoyin' tha party," he cleared his throat repeating himself, only trying to cover his accent however slight it was. "Enjoying the party?"_

_The goblin maiden giggled just a bit, she found his awkwardness cute in a way...but not in that way. "Yes your majesty," she replied. He was undone by her and felt something tight rise in his chest._

_This maiden was a member of the castle staff he learned after their first meeting. Sometimes he avoided her while other times he was around her as much as possible. She was always very kind to him, even if it was just out of respect for his position but was still completely sincere. In his blind affection he would only see what he wanted to and never paid any mind to the attention she may have given others._

_Griselda knew her boy had it bad, real bad and there had been a reason why she had not introduced this particular girl to him. "Tell her how you feel! Or ask her how she feels! But you have to be prepared for an answer you may not like!"He would deny it, but his mother knew better._

_That girl was too beautiful for him, he knew it, but he felt so happy around her and being away made him feel sick and cold. It became too much for him to bear and the fear he felt, letting his feelings be known. He's be rejected of course, he knew with what he looked like there was no hope for him. He thought of being without her and came to a radical decision. He'd find the fabled creator of a potion said to make the one used on it fall in love with the first creature they saw._

_The young King rolled his eyes at the blue effervescent being before him, trilling in circles while miniature version of her twisted the petals of three pink primroses. "Believe you me," this odd creature who took flight without wings began to say "There can be unforeseen consequences!"_

_"Such as?" The King retorted with a smirk. Oh what a mistake he made by asking, for the Sugar Plum Fairy began to sing._

_Love is Strange!_

_He slumped back in his stance going slack jawed his wings brushing against the ground "Forget I asked!"_

_But she continued, working the color from the petals and maneuvered the substance that poured from them with her hands._

_"Is this really necessary?_

_"They don't understand, they think lovin' is money in the hand..."_

_"Could ya be a little quieter about it?"_

_"LOVE IS STRANGE"_

_"ARRRRGH!"_

_The substance between her hands began to expand like she was pulling it out with invisible strings, he flew back to avoid it unsure of it affects when uncompleted._

_"OH I'm so good!" she said bobbing the compressed magic in her hands. "Once you get it you're in an awful fix. 'Cause after you've had it you'll never wanna quit!"_

_'Well that's parts kinda true..." he had to think although the song irritated him to all hell and back._

_"Dust the one you love and the first one they see when they open their eyes. But it will not work if they're - HEY!!"_

_The young king had snatched the glowing bottle from the fairy and flew off toward his castle. He tried to keep himself contained but her mind raced with thoughts of the girl. ' She'll love me," he thought, 'Like I do her.' He'd have a Queen he supposed and eventually, hopefully, start his own family. He felt his face burning from the thought that maybe he'd have children and there'd be more goblins like him..._

_He was left to see these past events unfold before him, his fingers slowly curled toward into his palms of his right hand, still heavy and hard to move. He continued his steps though the memories and though he did see them he was still total darkness. He wondered what lead at the end of this odd journey and didn't think of those left behind, or he didn't register his thought as his memories plagued him in the dream like way they replayed. Maybe death was different for everyone, and this was how it was for him. He always knew what was next since this was the life he had lived, and as much as the memory pained and haunted him in the living world he felt strangely indifferent to it now..._

The crowd exchanged glances between the mixed folk there, some goblins weren't sure of the Princess Marianne's reaction. Stuff and Thang looked on still side by side, and Thang looked as though he may start crying again. He held on tightly to the boutonniere or what was left of it. Griselda was the only one who dared take a few steps towards her son.

 

Marianne had the hand clutched in her hands the back of it pressed against her face. "He's.." she tried to choke up there her half laugh half sob. "He's alive..!"

 

The crowd erupted with the hidden power of the earth and Griselda rushed to Marianne wrapping her up in a tight crushing hug.

 

Stuff and Thang both exclaimed "He's alive!" as their arms shot into the air. Thang turned to Stuff after he put his arms down and got a whiff off a scent he had always liked. It was like sandalwood and fresh moss with a hint of turned soil. "I've always liked that smell," He finally admitted making Stuff turn to him, what great timing this creature had. "Cologne?" he asked? "No," Stuff replied. "Lotion? Cold Cream? Sun block?" With every answer Thang asked he received a "No." When he finally ran out of things he thought it was Stuff flatly replied " It's perfume." Thang's mouth dropped, "You're...a girl.." It wasn't so much a question as an utterly obvious statement. "Isn't it obvious?" Stuff asked as she crossed her arms and her lips pursed together in offence. "It's a little...subtle" Thang answered and a shy grin over took his frog like features. Stuff just looked up and shook her head but then quickly grabbed Thang and pulled him to her side. Thang felt himself heat up, "The Fairy King," he heard stuff stay under her deep breath.

 

It was the Fairy King who tore through the crowd and stopped short when he was his daughter and heir holding the appearing dead hand of the Bog King. He had noticed upon his "flight" that the wooden castle was gone and as he approached the scene he felt his armor tighten around him as his heart skipped too many beats. "Marianne!' he called out but it's like she couldn't hear him.

 

"Daddy!" exclaimed Dawn as she ran to him, Sunny always attached to her hand now. "Dawn! What's going on?" he half demanded half asked as Dawn ran into her father for a quick tight hug. He glared down at Sunny, not forgetting his hand in all this mess and solely blamed him for Dawn's kidnapping and subsequently for Marianne running off on her own to save Dawn. "You!" he said pointing a finger at Sunny, "NO!" Dawn yelled her thin long fingers wrapping around her father's wrist. "He didn't cause all of this, it was Roland. He tried to hurt me and Bog and Marianne saved me." Bog...the Bog King and Marianne, his daughter. Hearing their names like that, so close together in sentence made his stomach tie into a tight knot. "Please, I love him," Dawn said softly bringing her father's arm down. "Wha?" Dawn went to Sunny kneeling down and held his hands in hers. She turned to her farther again and repeated "I love him," and all too sweetly kissed him on the lips. "You're...with an elf..." The Fairy King feel back onto the ground with a heavy thud.

Now they had two Kings laid out on the ground. The personal fairy guard stood by their King gently fanning their wings gently around him and waited.

 

Marianne paid no mind to the commotion behind her, all her focus all her thought focused on the unconscious form before her. The relief she felt, the thought that something had been lost before it had been found and there was still the lingering question of 'What if...?'.

 

Griselda unwrapped her arm from Marianne and bellowed "Send the scouts for  the Proctor!" out into the crowd. Certain goblins made quick haste and at least five on the backs of dragonflies rose up and flew past them into the forest. It made Marianne jump just a bit, but her hands never left the clawed one of the Bog King.

 

 

_He returned to his castle, the tiny glowing bottle hidden behind his back. He had known that in the past the Love Potion had been used far more frequently and that  primroses where a major ingredient in wedding ceremonies and the like. There had even been stories that way back when arranged and forced marriages where much more common that the love potion was on the high demand. It was said that in the royal line it had been used more than once to ensure that there was a next generation to inherit the throne._

_It was awful to use it, but he had thought that it would make her feel the same way about her. He had never actually seen a love dusted individual before and no one idea what using this magical concoction would in tale._

_It took every bit of him to speak to the goblin maiden he had fallen so hard for and invite her for a walk around the castle and even more when she accepted his request. Maybe it was out of fear, or just respect for her King, it did not matter the reason to him. He was too far gone to care._

_Out in the cool night of the mid Spring season the moonlight was all but perfect. He carefully held the glowing bottle behind his back trying not to nervously clack his claws along the glass. With every step he felt his heart beat harder and faster. He let her walk a head just a few paces allowing her to decide the general course._

_Just behind the castle, there no other beings in sight. The subtle chirps and rustle of leaves were caused by the_

_He poured what was more than half the contents of the bottle over the unsuspecting creature's head. Her eyes closed immediately as a soft but rough cough escaped her reddened lips._

_Her mind was an odd haze of clouded blurry pink. She knew she was in love and wondered by she would think of it now as she walked with her King. It would have been rude not to accept, and she was not the type to hurt the feelings of others on purpose. She thought of her love and for whatever the reason wished they be there now, in her mind they already were. She gently shook her head and started to open her eyes, thinking and expecting her love to be in front of her. At first all she could see was the pink haze, but it began to clear. She brought her clasped hands to the side of her face and gazed towards the hazy figure that was no doubt her love._

_But it was not her love..._

_Her eyes went wide in shock and she screamed as she put up her hands adorned with perfect claws. The quarter webbing between her fingers stretched._

_That was not her love, that was the King, The Bog King and she did not love him...even with a potion..._

_The Bog King winced painfully as the bottle dropped to the ground, it not shatter but it did crack and the potion seeped out. The glittery magic in the brew faded as it hit the ground for when it had to target it merely fizzled out evaporating into nothing._

_All he saw in her eyes were fear, rejection of him, because of him. She quickly fled and her flat webbed feet hit the ground hard and she was gone into the trees, into the forest._

_He was left there dumbfounded, confused, hurt which all began to turn to anger. He looked down at the ground where the bottle had landed. The pink glow was gone as all its contents were gone now. And so was she..._

 

 

_A letter, if you'd call it that, was skillfully sent out to the neighboring kingdom._

_'The one known has The Sugar Plum Fairy has here by been imprisoned indefinitely due to crimes against the Dark Forest by use of the Love Potion._

_All Primroses are to be destroyed. It is best advised that the border be avoided at all costs. Those found in trespass will be dealt with swiftly and without prejudice._

_No response is necessary. '_

 

_In the corner of the "letter" it simply stated 'By order_ _of THE BOG KING'._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The timeline of this story is a little tricky. He goes through these memories through out the whole time of the story, it seems like they are moving fast but things will slow down next chapter. There will also be more waking world activities going on and less italic coma-dream-memory things.
> 
> And I know that the inner thoughts of the goblin girl (who has no name because I suck at that. But I call her Sweet.) are out of place but I wanted to describe what one might experience from being love dusted.  
>  
> 
> Thank you reading! I know I am NOT that great of a writer even though I seem to always be doing it. I really really struggle to get a story done (I will see this one to the end so help me). I worry about writing out of character too much but then again what is in character is a matter of opinion (sometimes, headcanons hehehee).
> 
> I hope my idea for the Proctor goes over well with the fans!
> 
>  
> 
> Of course he's alive...(but the big nerd doesn't know that).


End file.
